Partnering with our suppliers to find non-polluting components and introduce them into our processes has paid off. Recently, Dalton Utilities contacted us because it uses treated wastewater to irrigate one of the nation's largest land application forested systems. The 9,200 acres, which has 900,000 trees more than a foot in diameter, naturally filters out phosphorous and nitrogen before they reach the aquifer and the river.

However, phosphorous has a long life in the soil and was rapidly building up. Dalton Utilities asked the Pollution Prevention Assistance Division (P2AD) of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to assist with its large industrial customers to find cost-efficient ways to reduce phosphorous in their waste streams.

Helios immediately took action and went well beyond the requirements for environmental compliance. We changed our chemistries to eliminate toxins and switched to low mercury light bulbs, green solvents for part washers and latex paint. Our hazardous waste generation is so low at our manufacturing facilities that most are exempted from reporting under Federal regulations.